The U.S. Supreme Court denied Donald Trump’s request to intervene in his legal battle against the Department of Justice regarding classified documents that were seized from his Mar-a-Lago home.
The former president demanded that the Supreme Court review a decision of the three-judge U.S. Court of Appeals panel for the Eleventh Circuit which allowed the DOJ to continue its investigation into his documents.
Thursday’s request was denied by the justices. They did not comment on their reasoning. Dissent was also not noted.
Trump’s legal team had previously asked for a special master who would independently review all documents seized to determine whether they fall within the scope of attorney-client privilege or executive privilege. Aileen Cannon, a U.S. District Court judge, sided with Trump. She appointed a senior judge from the Eastern District to serve as special master.
Atlanta’s Eleventh Circuit ruled in favor of the Department of Justice and stated that the investigation could continue.
Trump also stated publicly that he had personally declassified all documents brought to Mar-a-Lago. However, his lawyers have not challenged that assertion in court.
Among the thousands of documents seized by the FBI on August 8, there were about 100 documents with classified markings.
The former president’s legal team argued to the Supreme Court that “any limit on the thorough and transparent review materials seized in an extraordinary raid of a Presidential’s home erodes the public confidence in our system for justice.”
It stated that the Government had attempted to criminalize document management disputes and now objects to transparent processes that provide much-needed oversight.
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who supervises the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, refused to grant permission.
More information about Trump’s refusal by the Supreme Court:
